1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a broadcast-program viewing method and system and more particularly, to a viewing method and a viewing system of broadcast programs such as television (TV) programs capable of viewing the programs from a different angle from those transmitted by a broadcast station or stations according to a viewer's or subscriber's taste.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 schematically shows a receiving method of TV programs transmitted from various broadcasting stations.
As seen from FIG. 1, a broadcasting station 101 transmits a radio wave conveying a lot of TV programs to the sky. The radio wave thus transmitted travels through the sky and then, is received by a receiving antenna 102 mounted by a viewer or subscriber. The radio wave thus received is sent to a broadcast receiving terminal, i.e., a TV set 103, provided by the viewer. The TV set 103 extracts the transmitted picture and sound information from the received radio wave and reproduces them at a screen and speakers of the TV set 103. Through these processes, the viewer becomes able to view the desired TV programs transmitted from the broadcasting station 101 as necessary.
The transmitted TV programs may be recorded onto a video tape by the use of a video tape recorder (VTR). In this case, the viewer is able to view the recorded programs at any time he wants.
Although the above explanation describes the TV programs, the same explanation may be applied to sound broadcasting (i.e., radio) programs. In this case, a listener listens directly the transmitted programs at a radio receiver, or listens indirectly the recorded programs onto a cassette tape by the use of a tape recorder.
Typically, the contents of the TV programs have been fixed prior to the transmission from the broadcasting station 101, and it has been difficult for the viewers or subscribers to apply any revision and/or modification to the TV programs after the program editing has been completed. Therefore, it has been usual that the viewers view the TV programs without any change as transmitted from the broadcasting station 101.
FIG. 2A schematically shows the configuration of a TV program PR transmitted from the broadcasting station 101. This program PR may be termed an "original TV program". FIG. 2B schematically shows the configuration of a TV program PR' viewed by the viewer. This program PR' may be termed a "viewer's TV program".
As seen from FIG. 2A, the original TV program PR contains items A, B, C, D, and E and F sequentially arranged with time. Also, as seen from FIG. 2B, the viewer's TV program PR' contains the same items A, B, C, D, E and F as that of the original TV program PR, and the timing order or arrangement of these items A, B, C, D, and E and F is the same as that of the original TV program PR.
Conventionally, to change the order of sequentially-transmitted original TV programs and/or to select and combine desired ones of the original TV programs or their desired items, the viewer needs to store the programs onto a video tape or tapes by using his VTR. Then, he needs to reedit the stored original TV programs as desired by fast-forwarding and/or rewinding the video tape or tapes and/or by selectively dubbing the necessary items of the programs from one of the stored tapes to another. Thus, it is essential for the viewer to carry out complicated and/or troublesome operations for this purpose.